This invention relates to an automatic vending machine for vending a beverage poured into a cup.
A conventional automatic vending machine of the type comprises a cup dispenser, a cup holder for holding a cup supplied from the cup dispenser, and a cup holder driving device for horizontally moving the cup holder. Generally, when the automatic vending machine is in a standby state, the cup holder is located at a cup outlet position adjacent to a beverage outlet port formed in a front door of the automatic vending machine to take out the beverage. When a user puts a coin into a coin slot formed in the front door of the automatic vending machine and pushes a select button attached to the front door to select a desired beverage, the automatic vending machine is put into operation, i.e., starts a vending operation. At first, the cup is supplied from the cup dispenser and held by the cup holder. Then, the cup holder is horizontally moved by the cup holder driving device to a pouring position faced to a discharge nozzle of the desired beverage. The desired beverage is discharged from the discharge nozzle to be poured into the cup held by the cup holder. Thereafter, the cup holder is horizontally moved by the cup holder driving device from the pouring position to the cup outlet position. Through the beverage outlet port, the user takes out the cup filled with the desired beverage.
During the vending operation, the cup holder is exposed to splash of the beverage discharged from the discharge nozzle or after-dripping from the discharge nozzle. It is therefore necessary to periodically wash the cup holder. For this purpose, the front door of the automatic vending machine in the standby state is opened to wash the cup holder by washing water.
At a moment when the front door of the automatic vending machine in the standby state is opened in order to wash the cup holder, the cup holder is located at the cup outlet position adjacent to the beverage outlet port formed in the front door of the automatic vending machine. Therefore, the washing water inevitably splashes out of the automatic vending machine to soil a floor surface where the automatic vending machine is installed.